Hair-gripping comb



Feb. 11, 1964 L. T. SAWYER 3,120,852

HAIR-GRIFFING COMB Filed Dec. 14, 1962 FIG.4

INVENTOR. LESTER T. SAWYER ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,120,852 HAIR-GRIPPING COMB Lester T. Sawyer, Sterling, Mass. Diadem, Inc, Leominster, Mass.) Filed Dec. 14, 1962, Ser. No. 244,636 3 Claims. (Cl. 132-145) This invention relates to a new and improved hairgripping comb comprising two main parts. One part is a comb back with a series of split teeth thereon and the other part is a member bingedly secured to the comb back and having a first position wherein it overlies the split teeth and helps to hold the comb to the hair, and another position wherein it is disengaged firom the teeth for insertion of the comb into the hair. One of the principal objects of the present invention resides in the provision of means on the hinged member to engage between the runs of the individual split teeth so that when the member is in the first position, this means engages the runs and spread the same apart and into engagement with the next adjacent runs of the next adjacent teeth, whereby the hair between these teeth is firmly gripped and the comb is positively held in the hair.

The invention further relates to arrangements and com. binations of parts which will be hereinafter described and more particularly set forth in the appended claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in which FIG. 1 is a view in front elevation of a comb according to the present invention showing the parts in open condition;

FIG. 2 is a similar view showing the parts in closed condition;

FIG. 3 is a partial view in elevation, looking 'firom the opposite side of the device from the FIG. 2 showing, parts being broken away;

FIG. 4 is a section on line 44 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged section on line 5-5 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged diagrammatic view showing the teeth of the comb as they appear when released, and 1 FIG. 7 is a similar view showing the teeth of the comb as they appear when clamped.

In illustrating the present invention I provide a comb having a back 10 upon which are mounted as for instance by integrally molding therewith a series of split teeth 12 having the usual points 14 and central longitudinal openlugs 16 therein. These openings 16 are formed by the provision in each tooth of a pair of similar runs 18 and 20 which extend from the comb back as is clearly shown in FIGS. 2, 6 and 7, and these runs are molded in such a way as to be inherently resilient, the entire comb being of inherently resilient plastic material. The runs of adjacent teeth are slightly spaced from the adjacent runs in the next teeth. That is, the run 20 of one tooth does not contact run 18 of the next tooth when in the FIG. 1 position of the device.

Tlhe comb back has at its ends a pair of pintles 22 which are snapped into apertures in rearwardly extending projections 24 on a member generally indicated at 26.

Member 26 is in U shape and comprises a pair of relatively short legs 28 upon which the rearwardly extending projections 24 appear, the legs 28 being connected by an elongated member 30 extending generally the length of comb back 10.

At the rearward fiace of the elongated member 30 the same is provided with a series of outwardly extending fingers or projections 32. These can be tapered if desired but in any event they are thicker than the width of the openings 16 in the teeth. That is, each projection is slightly wider than the distance between runs 18 and 20 in a single tooth at the point where the projections 32 enter and engage the runs of the teeth when the pivoted member 26 is swung down from the FIG. 1 position to the FIG. 2 position.

The result of this construction is that the resilient runs 18 and 20 are spread apart slightly (compare FIG. 6 and FIG. 7). FIG. 6 shows the teeth in the non tonching FIG. 1 position and FIG. 7 shows the teeth in the touching position of FIGS. 2 and 3.

Also extending rearwardly from the element 30 at the junction of arms 28 are a pair of large projections indicated by the reference numeral 34. This projection is undercut at its base at 36 and the member 30 has a rearwardly extending opening 38 at this area. A rearwardly extending opening 40 is also provided in member 26 communicating with the apertures in the members 24 which receive the pintles 22. The openings 38 and 40 are for the purpose of inserting ornamental material therein and the undercut at 36 is for the purpose of allowing the outside run 18 or 20 of the teeth to snap in behind the projections 34, as is perhaps best shown in FIG. 3, holding the member 26 in overlapping position with respect to the teeth in the FIG. 2 and 3 positions, and at the same time providing for a slight inward pressure on the outside of the end teeth to enhance the holding action.

It will be seen that this invention provides an ornamental comb which holds the hair not only by the inherent resilience of the split teeth as is known in the prior art but also because of the more positive gripping contact of the resilient runs of the teeth 18 and 20 spread apart by the projections 32 in the closed position of the comb as in FIGS. 2 and 3.

Having thus described my invention and the advantages thereof, I do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, otherwise i an as set forth in the claims, but what I claim is:

1. A split-tooth comb comprising a comb back, a series of resilient split teeth thereon extending therefrom in a generally aligned row, each tooth including a pair of runs connected at both ends and separated in the intermediate portions thereof forming an opening in each tooth, said openings being defined by the respective runs, the adjacent runs of adjacent teeth being positioned in very slightly spaced relation with respect to each other, and an element movably mounted on the comb back, projections on the element for certain of said teeth, said projections being spaced apart corresponding to the spacing of the openings in the respective teeth and located on the element to correspond to the openings, said projections being free of the teeth in one position of the element and entering the openings and engaging the runs of the respective teeth thereof in another position of the element, each projection having an effective thickness slightly greater than its respective opening as defined by the dis tance between the runs of the respective tooth at the point of engagement of the projection with the runs of the teeth so that the runs of the said certain teeth are dislodged laterally by the projections.

2. The split-tooth comb of claim 1 including means 3 pivotally mounting [the element on the comb book on an axis to provide for motion of the element away cfirom the teeth and toward the teeth.

3. The split-tooth comb of claim 1 including means pivotalily mounting the element on the oomb hack on an axis to provide for motion of the element away from the teeth and toward the teeth, said element being in U-shape including a pair of arms and an elongated member eonneoting the arms, the axis of pivotal being located in the arms and the projections being located on the conneoting member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Smith Aug. 21, 1906 Kotner Jan. 27, 1914 Fuilceri Apr. 10, 1917 Beatnie Mar. 19, 1929 Wood Dec. 4, 1951 

1. A SPLIT-TOOTH COMB COMPRISING A COMB BACK, A SERIES OF RESILIENT SPLIT TEETH THEREON EXTENDING THEREFROM IN A GENERALLY ALIGNED ROW, EACH TOOTH INCLUDING A PAIR OF RUNS CONNECTED AT BOTH ENDS AND SEPARATED IN THE INTERMEDIATE PORTIONS THEREOF FORMING AN OPENING IN EACH TOOTH, SAID OPENINGS BEING DEFINED BY THE RESPECTIVE RUNS, THE ADJACENT RUNS OF ADJACENT TEETH BEING POSITIONED IN VERY SLIGHTLY SPACED RELATION WITH RESPECT TO EACH OTHER, AND AN ELEMENT MOVABLY MOUNTED ON THE COMB BACK, PROJECTIONS ON THE ELEMENT FOR CERTAIN OF SAID TEETH, SAID PROJECTIONS BEING SPACED APART CORRESPONDING TO THE SPACING OF THE OPENINGS IN THE RESPECTIVE TEETH AND LOCATED ON THE ELEMENT TO CORRESPOND TO THE OPENINGS, SAID PROJECTIONS BEING FREE OF THE TEETH IN ONE POSITION OF THE ELEMENT AND ENTERING THE OPENINGS AND ENGAGING THE RUNS OF THE RESPECTIVE TEETH THEREOF IN ANOTHER POSITION OF THE ELEMENT, EACH PROJECTION HAVING AN EFFECTIVE THICKNESS SLIGHTLY GREATER THAN ITS RESPECTIVE OPENING AS DEFINED BY THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THE RUNS OF THE RESPECTIVE TOOTH AT THE POINT OF ENGAGEMENT OF THE PROJECTION WITH THE RUNS OF THE TEETH SO THAT THE RUNS OF THE SAID CERTAIN TEETH ARE DISLODGED LATERALLY BY THE PROJECTIONS. 